Westbound Paseo was supposed to be closed from Jefferson down to Second Street until 5 o’clock Monday morning. Instead it opened Sunday morning, a welcomed surprise for thousands of drivers who use the roadway.

Officials say workers had to set up cement barriers and repaint some traffic lines, to shift westbound and eastbound traffic to two temporary lanes just north of the old lanes.

This is all part of the next phase in the $98 million project to reconstruct the Paseo/I-25 Interchange.

Transportation officials say they didn’t expect construction crews to finish up so fast.

“Well you always plan for the worst and hope for the best and obviously in this situation, the project was able to open earlier than anticipated which is great,” Phil Gaellegos, NMDOT spokesperson, said.

The Paseo/I-25 Project is on track to be finished at the end of this year.

THERE’S STILL NO WORD YET ON WHEN WE MIGHT SEE CONSTRUCTION BEGIN ON THE BIG FLY-OVER.